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shipping adviser Moore Stephens. The rating of 6.8. In the case of brokers, the

Metal Shark Wins Shipping Con? dence average con? dence expressed by respon- con? dence rating rose from 4.6 to 6.4, dents to the survey was up to 6.1 out of 10 while for owners the increase was from 5.6 $54m USN Deal on the Rise

Shipping con? dence reached its equal from the 5.6 recorded in the previous sur- to 6.1. Con? dence on the part of charterers highest rating in the past three years, ac- vey in February 2017. Increased con? dence and managers, meanwhile, was up from cording to the latest Shipping Con? dence was recorded by all main categories of 5.9 to 6.4, and from 6 to 6.2 respectively.

Survey for the three months to end-May respondent to the survey, which launched https://www.marinelink.com/news/con? - 2017 from international accountant and in May 2008 with an overall con? dence dence-threeyear426635

Metal Shark

Metal Shark won a contract worth up to $54 million from the U.S. Navy to build

Near Coastal Patrol Vessels (NCPVs) for

U.S. partner nations through the Depart- ment of Defense Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Metal Shark’s proposal was selected by Naval Sea Systems

Command from a ? eld of six competing shipyards. Under the terms of the award,

Metal Shark will build up to thirteen 85-foot

De? ant-class welded aluminum cutters for the Dominican Republic, El Salvador,

Honduras, Costa Rica, Guatemala and other U.S. partner nations. Metal Shark will also supply electro-optical infrared sensors, diagnostic equipment, in-country reactiva- tion, crew familiarization and test support to NCPV operators. The new vessels are based on Damen Shipyards’ Stan Patrol 2606 design.

https://www.marinelink.com/news/con- tract-shark-metal426723

SHIPS Act: 355-Ship Navy Gets

Legislative Mandate

The push to rebuild the U.S. Navy received a boost when U.S. Senator Roger

Wicker, R-Miss., and Congressman Rob

Wittman, R-Va., introduced bicameral, bi- partisan legislation that would make it the policy of the United States to achieve the

Navy’s requirement of 355 ships. Under the “Securing the Homeland by Increasing our Power on the Seas (SHIPS) Act,” the ? eet would be comprised of the optimal mix of platforms, with funding levels subject to annual appropriations. Currently, 276 ships are in the battle ? eet.

“We need a strong Navy to project

American power and secure our nation’s interests around the globe,” Wicker said. “The Navy has set a clear requirement for 355 ships – an objective that is achievable in the coming years with prudent planning and suf? cient resources. Building up our ? eet is a national project and should be a source of national pride. By establishing the 355 ship goal as national policy, the ‘SHIPS Act’ will keep us focused on this critical endeavor.”

Wicker and Wittman serve as Chairmen of the Senate and House subcommittees that oversee the Navy and Marine Corps.

https://www.marinelink.com/news/legisla- tive-mandate-ships426695 www.marinelink.com 9

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